


got a feeling, you give me no choice

by seeingrightly



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Misunderstandings, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-07-06 19:01:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15892134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seeingrightly/pseuds/seeingrightly
Summary: Dear Newton,I can finally share with you that I have been offered a temporary teaching position at Harvard, covering a professor who is going on sabbatical in the fall. They reached out due to their interest in my preliminary research on the breach; they would like me to give presentations or something of the like. Is this something you would be interested in collaborating on with me? You’ll be very close by, after all, and I hope you want as much as I do to discuss our shared passions in the flesh.I arrive in Boston early next month. I look forward to spending time with you, if you’re amenable.Yours,Hermannor: "one of us thinks this is a date but the other thinks it’s an informal job interview (or, in this case, project collaboration proposal)"





	got a feeling, you give me no choice

**Author's Note:**

> prompt from [here](https://notallbees.tumblr.com/post/105994550160/au-scenarios-were-bad-at-dating-edition)
> 
> title from "name of the game" by, shocker, abba

 

 

 

_ Dear Newton _ , 

 

_ I can finally share with you that I have been offered a temporary teaching position at Harvard, covering a professor who is going on sabbatical in the fall. They reached out due to their interest in my preliminary research on the breach; they would like me to give presentations or something of the like. Is this something you would be interested in collaborating on with me? You’ll be very close by, after all, and I hope you want as much as I do to discuss our shared passions in the flesh. _

 

_ I arrive in Boston early next month. I look forward to spending time with you, if you’re amenable. _

 

_ Yours, _

 

_ Hermann _

 

_ - _

 

_ hermann - _

 

_ what???? DUDE! this is crazy! of course i wanna get together if you’re gonna be right here. wow. collaborating on some presentations, huh? you sure you wanna let me dive into my research when you’re supposed to be presenting on yours? because you know i’m always ready and willing to talk, but maybe you should clear it with harvard first, you fancy ivy leaguer.  _

 

_ heyyy, do you want some tips on where in cambridge to look for housing, or is the school providing that? _

 

_ i can’t believe we’re gonna be in the same place. in person. NEXT MONTH. email me back ASAP!!! i want more details!!! _

 

_ \- newt _

 

_ - _

 

It’s their third time hanging out. Newt’s not sure if he should think of it as hanging out, because that term seems too informal for Hermann, and they’re working on how to combine their research in a way that’ll appeal to Harvard, but they’re at a pub. They’re here because Hermann asked him to suggest a place, and Newt maybe wanted to push him a little bit, see what he would do. But it’s a relatively quiet pub, almost more of a restaurant, because Newt also wants to impress Hermann, wants to work with him, wants to be able to hear him and see him and be with him.

 

Professionally, of course.

 

And Hermann seems unbothered and maybe a little amused by the choice in location. There’s a glass of wine at his elbow, which makes Newt’s heart clench, because who drinks wine at a pub, and Hermann leans across the table intently to listen when Newt outlines what he’s been teaching this week. He just lets Newt talk, and that’s big.

 

“You know, I have no idea how we’re supposed to turn this into a coherent set of talks,” Hermann says once Newt winds down, though he doesn’t sound disappointed at the prospect of trying. “We both have so much to say about so many topics.”

 

Newt takes a sip of his beer and watches Hermann watch him. It’s terrifying, a little, Hermann’s drive, his focus, his desire to learn and catalogue. The way he studies Newt. Newt doesn’t want it to stop; Newt wants it to keep happening way more than he should.

 

“I guess we’re gonna have to keep talking it out til we find a narrative thread,” he says, hopeful, but mostly still playing it safe.

 

“Hm,” Hermann says, taking a slow sip of wine, looking up at Newt through his lashes. “They’ll want a proposal soon. We should… get together more frequently, I think, if we want to figure this out.”

 

Objectively, Newt knows that Hermann is gangly and stiff and intense, but all of that is focused on  _ Newt _ , and all of it is focused on Newt for the sake of  _ work _ , and it’s going to drive him wild. He bites his lip and tries to come up with an appropriate response; he’s been working so hard to stay professional all night, to not ruin this, and it’s exhausting.

 

“Would you like to see where I’m staying?” Hermann asks suddenly, and Newt actually jumps.

 

Hermann looks - sleepy, maybe, from the wine. Hermann looks  _ good _ . Newt is not a strong man. He can allow himself take a look at Hermann’s apartment, maybe sit on his couch and drink a glass of water before he goes home alone and sad. They’re both tipsy; hopefully Hermann will forgive the both of them for allowing this dip into unprofessionalism.

 

“Sure,” Newt says, his voice cracking. “It’s pretty close to here, right?”

 

They take the T. It’s still kind of early, and the Red Line is crowded with college students heading out for the night. Newt tries to be subtle about making sure Hermann gets a seat, boxing out other passengers. He barely avoids stepping on Hermann’s feet when he gets shoved in closer, and Hermann’s hand on the head of his cane is so close to Newt’s thigh. Newt tries not to notice.

 

It’s just a couple of stops before they get off and walk a few blocks to Hermann’s place. Newt’s learned by now not to talk about his research too loudly too publicly, but once they’re out in the open again, his nerves drive him to start chattering. Hermann listens, and he does seem interested, but he seems distracted as well as he watches Newt; Newt can feel himself being annoying but that doesn’t mean he can make it stop.

 

“Newton,” Hermann says as soon as he shuts the door of his apartment and turns on the light.

 

“Yeah?” Newt says.

 

“Relax,” Hermann says, and then he kisses Newt.

 

Newt melts. Hermann’s big hand cups the side of his face, and Newt brings his hands to Hermann’s sides without thinking about it, because he thinks he might fall down if he doesn’t fist them in Hermann’s stupid sweater. He forgets entirely to panic until Hermann pulls away to breathe. 

 

“What,” Newt starts, but he can’t finish the thought because there are too many things he wants to ask.

 

He wonders, wildly, if this is a test of some kind - is he willing to compromise this career opportunity for a lay? Can Hermann really take Newt seriously as a research partner? But Hermann’s lips are so close, and Newt has to take the risk. He’s been fantasizing about this for such a long time; he couldn’t possibly say no to this, no matter the cost.

 

“Come over to the couch,” Hermann says, kissing Newt again, and Newt follows him helplessly.

 

Hermann sits down and reaches up to pull Newt until he’s straddling his lap, and Newt’s mind goes blank again, too focused on Hermann’s hand in his hair and his tongue in his mouth to wonder why Hermann is initiating this. Hermann tastes like wine, in a way that’s kind of gross and kind of charming, and then Newt’s brain grinds to a stop and so does his mouth. The wine - the wine is why Hermann is doing this, he’s tipsy, is why, and Newt is totally taking advantage of him.

 

Net pulls back quickly enough that he nearly falls off the couch, and Hermann catches him around the waist, startled.

 

“What’s the matter?” he asks, equally concerned and grumpy.

 

“We can’t do this,” Newt says frantically. “You’ve been drinking.”

 

“So have you,” Hermann says slowly. “Do you expect that this is going to lead to more than necking? Because I don’t know what you get up to, Newton, but as far as I’m aware, drinking and kissing a little is perfectly acceptable third date behavior.”

 

Newt nearly falls off of his lap again, and Hermann frowns mightily.

 

“Date?” Newt asks.

 

“What... did you think it was?” Hermann asks.

 

They’re both staring at one another in mute horror now; it’s all Newt can feel and it’s all he can read off of Hermann. After a moment, Hermann shoves Newt, but sideways, so that he sprawls off his lap and onto the couch. He scrambles to sit upright and keep his boots off Hermann’s furniture.

 

“Uh,” Newt says once he’s righted himself. “I thought we were going to work together?”

 

Hermann presses his lips together very tightly, and his face turns white and his ears turn red all at once.

 

“You thought this was how I would behave professionally?” he asks, his voice dangerous and low and quiet in a way that does something to Newt’s stomach, but then he yells, practically spitting, “This is how YOU behave professionally, Newton?”

 

And that sets Newt off, makes him wants to rub the soles of his boots all over Hermann’s nice squishy couch and grab the cowlick at the crown of his head and, and, Newt wants to kiss him and yell at the same time but he goes with the latter.

 

“This is how YOU behave on DATES?” Newt screeches, throwing his arms out. “Without making it CLEAR that it’s a DATE?”

 

Hermann looks away suddenly, but the color graduates from his ears to his cheeks.

 

“Did you… not want them to be dates then?” he asks quietly, his hands twisting in his lap, though his voice grows angrier as he continues. “You’re just… here with me now because, what, I’m a professional colleague and maybe, if I’m foolish enough, a warm body to you?”

 

Newt actually sputters, makes a stupid spitty noise and waves his arms in the air like some cartoon character.

 

“I thought this was the only shot I was gonna get with you, dude!” he yells, tugging on his own hair. “I definitely thought I was wrecking my chances to work with you or talk to you again but I - I’ve wanted you so badly for ages that I couldn’t - not take what I could get.”

 

His voice is so quiet by the end he kind of hopes Hermann doesn’t hear it, but Hermann does, because he slowly looks up at Newt, his mouth hanging open a little.

 

“So if you could… get more than just this… you would want that?” Hermann asks slowly, like he’s processing. “That is, you’re… not upset that they were dates? That I thought they were dates?”

 

“Duh, dude, no,” Newt groans, and then he gasps, his eyes widening. “WAIT, you gotta let me take you on a date for real now!”

 

Hermann presses his lips together again, but this time it seems like he’s trying not to let his amusement show, and Newt leans in closer to him.

 

“I’m scared to see what you’re like on a date if this is how you are ‘professionally,’” Hermann says, not as dry as he clearly intends it to be. “Here I was thinking this was perfectly lovely date behavior.”

 

“Well I’m scared to see what you’re like professionally if the little amount of personal info I could get out of you was supposed to be you wooing me,” Newt says, smiling so big his face hurts.

 

“Oh, does this mean we can actually be professional when we’re working together now?” Hermann asks, arching an eyebrow. “Now that I’m not, apparently, using it as a ruse?”

 

“Absolutely not,” Newt says, pointing at Hermann, and then jabbing him in the chest for good measure. “Everything is both a date and a work meeting from now on. Everything. We’ll make it work.”

 

Hermann stares down at the finger that’s touching his sweater, and then he looks up at Newt with an expression of open warmth that Newt really, really wants to see more of.

 

“Alright,” Hermann says easily. “Can we kiss again now?”

 

“Hell yeah,” Newt says, “although technically I should say no because since I didn’t know it was our third date, we’re breaking the rules.”

 

“Shut up,” Hermann says, and he hauls Newt onto his lap once more.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr at [ch3ry1b10ss0m](https://ch3ry1b10ss0m.tumblr.com) and twitter at [coralbluenmbr5](https://www.twitter.com/coralbluenmbr5)


End file.
